Rekindling the Flame
by kirbyfan1996
Summary: Although she said that she wasn't in love anymore, her heart told her otherwise. Although he said he was over her, his heart told a different tale. As an old foe of his begins his final plot to destroy all life, it is up to a madman in a box to defeat the evil one and rekindle the flame between the two teenagers.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Guess what? Instead of working on my other pieces, I decided to start an entirely brand new project! As you might expect, I happen to be one of those people who became somewhat unsatisfied, to say the least, after the Adventure Time episodes Frost & Fire and Earth & Water. Thus was born some inspiration for this piece. Like my other pieces, I intend to write as much as I can whenever I can, so wish me luck!**

**Disclaimer: Any and all rights related to Doctor Who belong to the BBC and its affiliates. Any and all rights related to Adventure Time belong to Cartoon Network and its affiliates.**

* * *

_The area that once consisted of the Grasslands was now a barren field. The tree that had stood for centuries was nothing more than a mere memory. The same scene was over two domains that had once been completely different: the Ice Kingdom without its frosty essence and the Fire Kingdom without a trace of heat. All across Ooo, lands that were once fertile and full of life were all decrepit, save for one last plot of land in the area that was once the Candy Kingdom. On it was an owl with an essence of the stars, trying to fend of his mortal enemy. Although he was battered and bruised, he valiantly fought on, hoping that he would somehow triumph over the creature. The Cosmic Owl was the last thing standing on the planet that had been so nearly annihilated countless years before by the very same being standing right in front of him. And he was losing the fight, not far away from the brink of death._

_That figure was the oldest form of evil that remained in this world. It had been spawned from the Great Mushroom War, the conflict that had transformed the planet forever due to the release of massive radiation. It was a dark creature with a horned skull on one side and, eerily enough, what could only be described as the remains of a balding man on the other. Its aura was so powerful that it had been able to conquer the world just by existing, its essence overpowering the mortals that had fallen. It was the bane of all life, and there was only one creature left standing to face him. And the Cosmic Owl was losing._

_The Lich advanced ever closer to the one so many had turned to for help and guidance before their inevitable demise. "You are all alone," he said. "I have conquered all, and I am about to end all life forevermore. What hope do you have?"_

_He struck the Cosmic Owl, and both of them knew that he would not be able to get up. As he readied the final blow, the Cosmic Owl emitted one last noise. It was definitely not of this world, perhaps not even of this universe. Light flashed through the clouds, and the Cosmic Owl vanished. The Lich growled as, in his place, a blue box was appearing out of thin air. When it had finished appearing, a door opened, revealing a strange figure. "You…" he spat out as the door opened._

_There was a man in the doorway staring down evil incarnate. He was shrouded in darkness, his features indiscernible. However, his voice carried a resolute power that made even the Lich take a step back. "Hello, Lich," he said. "I'm the Doctor."_

* * *

"YO, FINN!" a voice yelled out. "WAKE UP!"

The teenager in questioned found himself being shaken by his bro. He eventually did get up and looked drowsily at him. "Jake?" he groggily mustered. "What time is it?"

"Oh, it's about 6 in the morning on this lovely day!" he enthusiastically replied.

"Wait, what? Why did you wake me up so early?" He paused before realizing something. "Wait, how are you even up so early?"

"Well, I was going to sleep in, but today's not the day to do that."

"Why? What's so special about today?"

"Dude, don't tell me you forgot your own birthday!"

Finn's eyes widened. "Oh, Glob! Wow…I can't believe it's already been a whole year already…"

"I know, bro! 16 already! You're almost all grown up! Boy, Mom and Dad would be going banaynays over this…"

As Jake kept on rambling about how fast time had gone by, Finn drew back into himself as he thought about how fast life was going. He and Jake had gone through a lot already in their young lives. From slaying tons of evil creatures to helping out others in all sorts of ways, he knew that his time with his brother were to be treasured forever. Recently, the time that they spent together simply going out on quests and adventures had declined, partly due to the fact that he had been spending more and more time with Lady Ranicorn. Not that he really minded that. After all, he was already a father himself, though his children seemed to have somehow matured to a far greater degree than he had. He was happy that Jake had managed to maintain a stable, happy relationship with his longtime girlfriend. Perhaps he would soon have the guts to finally marry her, something he knew that they would eventually do.

The same tranquility and consistency that existed in Jake's love life definitely did not exist in his own love life. This time last year, he and Flame Princess were still boyfriend and girlfriend. It had been his first true relationship with a girl. It definitely hadn't gotten off to the best of starts. Jake had taken the initiative to set him up, but, when he realized Flame Princess was evil and tried to undo the damage, he had unintentionally caused her to feel great anger towards him. He himself tried to talk to her and reason, but, every time he did, he would end up hurting her somehow, nearly causing her to burn the Goblin Kingdom out of spite. It was then when he had said that he would defy nature for her that they began to form a relationship, despite the fact that almost everything wanted to get in between them. From her father, the evil Flame King, to the fact that they would unintentionally harm each other with simple contact, it had seemed that every force in the universe wanted to get in between them. And yet, they had still persisted in a relationship. She made him feel happy and complete, and he felt that he did the same to her. He still remembered those days as some of the happiest in his life.

Sadly, it still eventually failed. It had been his fault. It had started after Ice King had decided to make fun of her. She ended up burning his hams and sending him back to where the Ice Kingdom. That night, he had experienced a dream that felt gratifying to him, and he wanted to feel that experience again. A mild lie created another fight between the two, though Ice King had managed to triumph. When he went to bed, he had a stranger dream and realized that the Cosmic Owl was whispering something. He had wanted to get that message from the Cosmic Owl so desperately that he had forged inflammatory letters to her and Ice King, prompting them to fight once more and nearly resulting in the complete destruction of the Ice Kingdom. When he confessed his indiscretions, he saw how upset she was that he had betrayed her by using things only he knew about her to manipulate her. As a result, she had decided to break up with him, return to the Fire Kingdom, and usurp her father. The Flame Kingdom prospered under her firm but fair rule, and he had occasionally visited it. However, his visits became more and more infrequent as time passed. He had realized that each visit meant dwelling on the past, most painfully the what-ifs had he not been so reckless with her feelings…

"Finn!" Jake said as he slapped him. "Snap out of it!"

"Huh? What? Jake? Why'd you slap me?"

"Dude, you were staring into space for, like, ten minutes. I've been trying to snap you out of it. What gives?"

"Sorry, I was just…er…"

Jake's eyes narrowed. "Dude, don't tell me you're **still** hung up over Flame Princess. We've all worked really hard to get you off her!"

"What? No! I wasn't thinking about her! I've been over her ever since that time we went on that train!"

"Then what, may I ask, were you thinking so heavily about?" Despite every time Finn had tried to deny any lingering feelings for the princess, Jake knew that she was still on his mind. He himself still believed that the love they had shared might one day reassert itself, even though the prospect of such a thing grew dimmer with each passing day. Still, he thought they had spent too much time together to have had their relationship blown up by one act on indiscretion that he himself had had a part in.

Finn had to think fast to save his butt. His memory obliged, showing him the dream he had had before Jake had woken him up. "I was just…thinking about a dream. I think it might have been a premonition dream."

Jake looked at him slightly less skeptically, though he was still suspicious. "Oh, really?" He knew that Finn hadn't had one of those dreams since Flame Princess had dumped him, and he knew that he wasn't especially eager to have one of them because of that result.

"Yeah…the Cosmic Owl was fighting the Lich…"

"WHAT?!"

Finn grimly nodded, realizing that their most dangerous enemy was on the rise once more. "I know…but there was someone else there too. The Lich was about to kill the Cosmic Owl when something just appeared out of nowhere. There was someone inside the thing, and it looked like the Lich wasn't happy to see him at all."

"Huh? Who could that be?"

"He called himself 'the Doctor.'"

"Doctor who?"

"I have no idea. But I'm concerned about the Lich. I've been wondering when that butt would show his face again…we've gotta be ready for him when he does…"

Jake nodded. "Course man, but let's try to at least enjoy your birthday. I got peeps from all over ready to get their party on." He opened the curtains, revealing a massive gathering of the denizens of all the kingdoms of the land together for one reason. "AM I RIGHT, Y'ALL?!"

A resounding cheer was all the answer Finn needed to lighten up a bit and jump out the window to greet them, never mind that he was still in his pajamas. Jake smiled and watched to make sure that he was going to have a good time before diving into a small opening underneath his bed. In it was a letter from one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse: Prismo, the guardian of the Time Room. Concerned with the prospect of facing the Lich again, he knew it was time to pay him a long overdue visit.

He cleared his mind of everything but his purpose of seeing Prismo. The letter expanded, forming a rift directly into the Time Room. Jake quickly stepped through, sealing the rift behind him to make sure nothing undesirable got into there and potentially got a wish that would dramatically change reality. He found himself in the large, box-like place that housed a great amount of power.

He soon spotted the one he was looking for, a being who chose to take the form of a two dimensional drawing. "Yo, Prismo!"

"Hey, Jake!" came the reply. "It's been too long, you know?"

"Hehe…yeah, sorry about that. I've always meant to come back and hang, but things just kept getting in the way, you know?"

"Yes, but certainly there's a reason you're here now? I don't think you would deliberately miss Finn's birthday party to see me without one."

Jake sighed. "Well, yeah…unfortunately, it involves the Lich again. Finn had a prophetic dream last night that had some sort of battle between him and the Cosmic Owl."

Prismo visibly darkened, obviously displeased by what he had to say. "Ah…the time approaches…"

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Prismo?"

"I'm sorry, Jake. I've kept myself informed about the Lich's movements, and his power has grown ever closer to his original abilities. If nothing is done, the Lich will at last succeed in destroying all life not just in your universe but in every corner of the multiverse."

Now he was very alarmed. "Can't I just wish that he wouldn't, like last time?"

"Unfortunately, he has surpassed my power to affect him at all, even in his past. In fact, I think that my power has dwindled significantly because of his increased presence."

"Gah, isn't there any way you could help a brother out?"

Prismo considered his point before responding. "Yes, if your wish is still in my power to grant. Remember, you have to be very specific about how you want help and what for. I imagine that you've also been trying to look out for Finn's love life."

Oh, how he hated his penchant for getting distracted so easily. Concern for Finn mixed with the task at hand. Although he still been worried about the Lich, his emotions got the better of him at that moment. "I wish someone would come to help against the Lich and help Finn and Flame Princess get back together." His eyes widened as he realized how vague his wish was. "Wait, that was so vague! Oh, Glob! I don't want some sort of bear taken from his family!"

"Too late, bro. But I will try to make sure the right person comes." He winked as Jake disappeared, the consequences of his wish coming to fruition. "In fact, I think I know someone who can do that and more. All Ooo really needs is a doctor."

A TV remote materialized, and a giant video feed appeared on one of the walls. It depicted a part of the Fire Kingdom not far off from the palace. It seemed to be a normal day, but rumbling soon changed that. From the sky, a rift appeared, and a blue box plummeted, having traveled across from a different dimension. It crashed into the ground, but no one seemed to even notice it. The rift resealed as the doors of the box opened. From it, a man climbed out. He was equipped with an orange spacesuit that had served him well in hostile environments like the Fire Kingdom. Although he seemed to be shaken, he was still eager to explore his surroundings, just as Prismo had hoped for. "Specifically, **The** Doctor."

* * *

**So, what do you think so far? I haven't even decided which Doctor (9, 10, or 11) will be the focus, so please vote on the poll on my profile. Or leave your preference in a review. Once the Doctor is chosen, I hope to get the next chapter out shortly after.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Right...I got really impatient and just decided to use the 11th Doctor. It's better to tie it in to the works I already have, so things work out fine. I had some free time, so I just felt like writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

The Doctor groaned as he lifted himself out of the swimming pool. "Blimey…what hit us this time, Sexy?" His mind rewound to when he had bid Amy and Rory farewell once more. The whole trip to a parallel universe had been trying, but their welcome home, an invitation to another one of Captain Jack's weddings, was the most draining thing that had happened yet. Taking River along with them in case it got out of hand (which the Doctor had counted on), they departed, wondering how it would go. To say Jack's stag party had taken a lot out of all of them was an understatement, but the wedding right afterwards and the reception proved too much for even the Time Lord to handle. For once, River welcomed the idea of relaxing in her prison cell, so he had dropped her off there before deciding to wander around the universe.

The TARDIS had been parked near Raxacoricofallapatorius when the rumbling began. At first, he wondered if the Slitheen were after him, likely because of whatever River had done to get their wedding rings back. "Blimey, what did River do now?" When he looked in the monitor, however, he quickly realized that the rumbling was not because the Slitheen were attacking. Instead, the TARDIS was being summoned by some external force from a different universe. Something seemed to crash into the TARDIS, sending it into a free fall.

He had been knocked around all over the console, just like when he had crashed into Amy's backyard so long ago. When the movement finally stopped, he found himself in the exact same place he had landed in before: the swimming pool. He looked up, groaning at the fact that he would have to climb all the way back up to the console to straighten the TARDIS out. Once he finally did, he looked into the monitor again to evaluate the environment.

"Let's see…according to this, I'm in a parallel Earth…that's now called Ooo? I'm getting a bit tired of all these parallel Earths, but this one seems to be very interesting. Now, atmosphere check." He pressed a few buttons and a new set of features appeared. "Strange…atmosphere seems to be hot. Very hot. So hot, it would burn me even despite my physiology." He rushed down to a room where he kept an assortment of clothes. He dug around, throwing out a pinstripe suit, a long scarf, and a spare fez before settling on the orange spacesuit he had used to traverse Mars. "Well, looks like I'll need you again…I really hope you still fit." He put it on, finding that it did fit him. "Well, I'm not going to know why I'm here just sitting around. Time to see what's outside."

Opening the doors cautiously, he saw a land that was completely engulfed in flames. It seemed to be a normal ecosystem for the area, though not to the Doctor's taste. It was full of everything fire-related, complete with volcano ranges and rivers of lava. "Whoa…definitely a good idea to have this spacesuit, then…" He looked around spotting faraway a large building of some sort. "That might be a good place to start looking." He strolled towards that general direction, looking around to gauge his environment. He was surprised to see a fairly large city, naturally fixed with fire, but he was most surprised with the people he saw. He took out his screwdriver to analyze their makeup, which seemed to be 65% fire and 35% organic material. "Now, that is interesting…"

The screwdriver, however, seemed to alert the authorities. "Halt," a tall guard ordered. "What business do you have in the Fire Kingdom, outsider?"

"Hm? Fire Kingdom?" So, this society had a monarch. He'd definitely like to meet their leader. "Oh, sorry. I just stumbled here and wanted to look around, maybe learn something. You know, meet some new people and what not." It was pretty much what he was there to do as he wanted to find out whatever information he could get about this universe. He just hoped that the guard wouldn't react too harshly to his outlandish truth.

"Ah, yes," the guard said. "It's very good to meet new people."

That was an unexpected reaction. "Hm? Sorry, I just got this vibe that you might not be very hospitable to outsiders."

"Well, yes. That was the old policy under our old ruler, Flame King."

"Flame King? No other name besides that?"

"Members of royalty all across Ooo usually do not tell their names to commoners. It's one of the things excluded in our current policy of the truth, one of the changes our new ruler has made."

That one answer had turned into two new questions. "Sorry…more confused. Truth policy? And why isn't this king your ruler anymore?"

"Ah, yes. Our new ruler is his daughter, Flame Princess. She usurped her father last year and reformed many of our policies in order to restore the tarnished name of our nation. One such reform was the outlawing of all lies and deceit, which had plagued the hearts of the people for so long."

"She sounds like an interesting figure. You don't suppose I could get a meeting with her, do you?"

"Of course. One of her new policies was the transparency of her actions. Thus, she sees all those who seek an audience with her. This way, please."

The Doctor allowed them to lead the way, eagerly anticipating this meeting. This Flame Princess seemed to be a very intriguing character. He knew the value of the truth and applauded her desire to make it paramount. However, he still knew that he needed to follow rule one: the Doctor lies. He would gather as much information as he could and leave as soon as possible.

* * *

"Good morning, Princess," the familiar voice said. "It's time to get up."

The girl smiled and got up to the sight of a candy citizen under the magical protection of Flame Shield. "Good morning, Cinnamon Bun."

She yawned as she stretched a bit, ready for a new day of her duties to her people. Although her responsibilities often stressed her out, she felt fulfilled leading her people into a new light. The kingdom had prospered after she had come to power. With the neighboring kingdoms no longer concerned with the volatile and hostile whims of her father, they were willing to conduct in trade. The symbiotic relationship between the Fire Kingdom and its neighbors lead to a new prevailing attitude among her citizens. They weren't evil by heart, only because her father had made them so. With the truth in hand, none of them needed to fear the deception and lies she felt had caused the distrust that had plagued the kingdom for so long.

A servant soon came in. "Good morning, Princess. Good morning, Cinnamon Bun."

"Good morning," she said. "What news have you brought?"

"There is a stranger who seeks your audience."

"Hm? Who would this stranger be?"

"He merely calls himself the Doctor. He doesn't appear to resemble a citizen from any of the neighboring kingdoms."

"Oh! Maybe he's a visitor from a land we don't know about." Her curiosity was piqued. "Well, alright. Let's see him immediately."

"Uh, are you sure about that, Princess?" Cinnamon Bun said. "I thought you were going to wish Finn a Happy Birthday."

Her demeanor changed instantly. "Change of plans, Cinnamon Bun. My duties come first, and I shall see this stranger immediately."

As the servant rushed out, Cinnamon Bun looked at her with a concerned face. "Princess, I know how much you care about the needs of the Fire Kingdom, but are you sure you don't want to take just one day off? It has been a long time since Finn came here. You are still friends, right?"

"Yeah, but it's just that he has his duties and I have mine," she said with some hint of regret.

A thought occurred to him. "Princess, do you still have, you know, romantic feelings for him? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She sighed as she heard the question from the one person she knew told nothing but the truth, not by law but by his very nature. When she had first broken up with Finn, she reasoned that his betrayal had driven her from him. As time went on, however, she found that the reason she had broken up with Finn was because she was confused by her feelings. It had been one slipup that had ended a relationship that had made her happy, but it was too late to do anything about it. They had grown far apart. As Finn continued to fend off the evil in the world, she turned more to her duties to distract herself from thinking about him. She still was unsure about how she still felt about him, but she didn't want anyone to be hampered by her feelings.

"No," she finally said. "I'm not in love with him anymore." Which was at least partially true because she didn't still feel the same way she had before taking control of the throne. But it wasn't completely true because her heart still reserved some feelings she just couldn't identify. She just hoped Cinnamon Bun wouldn't press her any further.

"Okay, Princess," he replied as he went off to take care of his Fire Pup.

She sighed with relief as she prepared herself to see the stranger. She gazed into her wardrobe, not wanting to appear too soft or too unapproachable. The bulky armor that was traditionally worn by the ruler of the kingdom did not suit her at all. Although she usually wore it out of respect for customs, she decided to wear her regular dress, not wanting to intimidate the stranger. When she was satisfied with her look, she promptly went to the main hall where guests would typically be heard.

"Presenting her royal highness, Flame Princess," the royal speaker announced as she entered. She nodded to him and scanned the room for their guest. The room only had a few servants, so she saw the stranger immediately, dressed in a strange orange suit. The vibe that came from him seemed to be very contradictory on a variety of different levels. Although she couldn't clearly see his face, he seemed to be old and young at the same time. She felt that he was a good man who had committed terrible atrocities. Worst of all to her, he seemed to be a trustworthy individual but seemed to have the penchant of lying.

The man noticed her apprehension but decided not to ignore it. "Hello," he said as he bowed and introduced himself. "I'm the Doctor."

Flame Princess quickly realized that her body language was not very inviting, so she mustered a smile to greet him. "Hello, Doctor. May I ask where you are from?"

"Gallifrey," he responded. After all, what was the harm in telling this girl his home planet?

She gave him a puzzled look. "Sorry, I've never heard of it. Is it very far away?"

He nodded. "Yeah…very, very far away…"

She noted the melancholy in his voice and decided to shift away from that topic. "So, what brings you to our kingdom today?"

"Oh, just wandering around. New place, new faces…gotta love it." He gazed at the guards who had brought him in. "Nice fellows your guards are. They really know how to make a bloke feel comfortable. You must be very proud of them."

"Oh, yes. I'm really proud of all my people for being able to handle so much change in such a short time."

"You look a little young to be a fulltime ruler, though. Shouldn't you be out meeting boys or something?"

Everyone in the room not named the Doctor gave a collective gasp at his tactless question. Flame Princess was blushing violently, her fires flaring up. "Wha…what sort of question is that?!"

The Doctor immediately put his hands up. "Sorry, forgot that social customs are different here than where I come from. Didn't mean to upset you, just very curious."

She settled down a bit before continuing. "I guess that's fine. And no…my duty to my people comes before my love life."

Something in her voice struck the Doctor. He paused before giving her another question, deciding to leave that subject for later. "Do you have a name besides Flame Princess?"

One of her eyebrows rose. "Do you have a name other than the Doctor?"

He chuckled. "Touché. Yes, but I prefer to be called the Doctor. It's who I choose to be: the man who makes people better. I may assume that is why you call yourself by your title, right?"

She nodded. "I guess so. I never really put much thought into that, but…yeah."

"By the way, if you're the acting head of state, why aren't you queen? Just curious how that works."

"I don't become a queen until I'm married. Lots of other kingdoms have similar laws regarding titles."

"Ah, of course." He pressed on. "Anyways, I was just chatting with your guards about some sort of law banning lies. In all my years of travel, I don't recall quite a law ever being passed. Care to tell me how that came about?"

"Well, I wanted to start my rule with transparency. My family hasn't exactly been the best of rulers, imposing order through fear and lies. I've wanted to take a bit of a different approach."

He smiled. "What a noble thought! Very praiseworthy and definitely something I would have never tried…but I'm not sure that's key part. It's certainly the truth, but I think there's more to the story than you're letting on."

A thought occurred to her, and she narrowed her eyes at the Doctor. "Wait…Finn didn't send you, did he?"

This was the opening the Doctor had been waiting for. "Finn?" he asked in a surprised tone. "Never heard of anyone like that. But apparently you have…wait, wait, wait, don't tell me. What am I missing? I'm missing something…I'm missing something…AHAH! Yes, quite right!" He snapped his fingers before continuing. "The way you spoke that last sentence…it sounded like there was a twinge of regret. He was your boyfriend, wasn't he? Ah, no need to answer; I saw your eyes widen. He must have done something wrong, probably a lie that grew too big? That sounds like a reason to adopt a no lying policy, but, the thing is, there's still more…"

Although most of her citizens thought the man was crazily rambling, Flame Princess thought his remarks were inflammatory. "What is with you and your insults?!" she practically screamed at him. "You're worse than my aunt!"

The Doctor smiled, remembering the exact words he had used when Amy had said those exact words. "I'm the Doctor. I'm worse than everyone's aunt."

"Guards! Show him out!"

"Ah, overstayed my welcome…again. But I'll tell you what before I leave: just a word of advice from a very old man. Never give up on love. Trust me, I've seen so many dark things try to take of the world, the universe, blah, blah, blah, and every time I've seen them fail. True love conquers all." With that, he turned around and began to walk out, although he looked back once more. "By the way, you might not want to always have that law against lying. A lot of blokes would be in terrible danger when their wives ask if they look fat."

Without so much as another word, the Doctor left the palace, and the servants dispersed. She stared at the spot where the mysterious man had stood, unable to move away. Why was he so inquisitive? It had annoyed her so much that he had been so insistent about stirring up the events of the past. Surely he had to have been sent by Finn to get her to fall in love with him again. It was the only explanation she had: that he was another trap to keep her from her duties. And yet…something in her was completely fine with that idea. Did she still feel something for the lone human in all of Ooo?

"Uh, Princess," Cinnamon Bun said, interrupting her thoughts. "There's still a lot of work to do today."

She nodded, brushing off her thoughts. "Of course. Let's go." As they left the room, she spent one last moment looking back. Despite her confused feelings, she hoped she would meet that mysterious man once more.

* * *

"Thank you for taking me back here," the Doctor said once they had reached the TARDIS. "I'll be out of your troubles now."

"Er…are you sure this is where you want to be?" The guard was uncertain with the contents of the strange box, not even remembering seeing the thing ever before. "We could take you to one of the neighboring kingdoms."

"Don't worry about me. I'll just step in and leave. Although, visiting other kingdoms sounds like a good idea. Which ones would you recommend?"

"Well, the Candy Kingdom is widely considered one of the most popular kingdoms to visit, and it's one of our most powerful allies. If you're looking to learn something new, you would definitely learn something from Princess Bubblegum."

"A candy kingdom?" A silly grin crossed his face, the exact look of a kid in a candy store. "Now that sounds like fun." He took out a key and opened the front door, closing it behind him. The guards were amazed when the box suddenly began dematerializing, leaving empty space behind it.

"Um…I think the princess should know about this…"

"Yeah…we probably should tell her immediately…"

They immediately rushed back to the palace as the Doctor set off for his next destination. He always loved the look on people's faces when they saw the TARDIS disappear. Now, though, his attention was on the console as he pushed various buttons that definitely did not need to be pushed. "So, the Candy Kingdom. Right, then. Allons-y!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Since I've finally finished with my early round of applications, I figured I had enough time to whip up a few chapters for my stories. I've actually had this one ready for a bit, but I've held out until now because I thought I wasn't updating the stuff I already have nearly enough. This chapter's longer than the previous ones for no particular reason. I'm not going to have an average word count for this piece, instead writing until the I feel the chapter is done. So, without further ado, here's the next chapter of Rekindling the Flame.**

* * *

It had been hours since she had first stepped in to the lab; yet, Princess Bubblegum was nowhere near finished with her work. "Yoo-hoo!" she called out. "Peppermint Butler!"

A well-dressed peppermint came in. "Yes, Princess?" he asked.

"I need some original high fructose corn syrup to work on my formula. It has to be some of that old stuff from ancient times."

He internally questioned the strange request but outwardly obeyed without question. "Yes, Princess." As he walked to the first storage room, he wondered to himself what Princess Bubblegum was doing with all the strange things she had been asking for recently. From gasoline to computer parts, he had been going to the top-secret storage room a lot more often. Although he knew the purpose of this experiment, a final cure to the candy zombie virus, the purpose of the other projects were completely enigmatic. He knew it wasn't someone masquerading as her because his heightened senses would have alerted him to the ne'er-do-well. Could she possibly be…?

He shook his head violently as he opened the first of many doors. _There's no way THAT could possibly happen. Even when Mr. Cream Puff was still around, she wasn't anywhere near in love enough to do THAT._ Trying to push such thoughts out of his head, he pushed forward to the inner sanctum, where the relics from before the Great Mushroom War were kept. He occasionally wandered around to explore a time far before he had been created.

As he searched for the early forms of artificial sweeteners, Peppermint Butler heard a strange noise coming from a distance. "What in the world could that be?" he wondered aloud. He walked towards the noise and discovered a strange blue box. It fit the description of something called a police box, but it definitely should not have been in the section marked "Transportation."

He was shocked as he saw the box opened and even more so when a man stepped out. "Hello," he said as he looked down. "I'm the Doctor. And it seems I parked the TARDIS in a bad place…is this the Candy Kingdom?"

Eventually recovering from the surprising stranger, he mustered a response. "Uh…yes…" He noticed the man take out a device, which seemed to scan his makeup.

"Hm…roughly 70% candy, 25% miscellaneous organic material, and 5%...demon blood? Ah, so demon blood exists here. I'll have to make a note of that in case I see anyone like old Trigon or Toby…"

"Um…sir, may I ask what you are doing here of all places?"

"Oh, I'm just looking around. A friendly guard from the Fire Kingdom told me this place would be lovely to visit; although, I'm not certain I'm in the best spot."

"How in the world did you get into this vault? It's the most secure place in all of the Candy Kingdom!"

"Hm…maybe I should go park somewhere else then…"

Peppermint Butler sighed. "Oh, forget it. I'm just here to find some high fructose corn syrup."

One of the Doctor's eyebrows rose. "Sorry, high fructose corn syrup?" He rushed back into his box and dashed out carrying a container of the legendary liquid. "Is this what you were looking for?"

Peppermint Butler was now flabbergasted. "How did you get that?"

"Oh, I had a few jelly babies lying around, put them into a machine, drew the syrup out of it, and put it in this container. Thing is…I would have expected that this thing would be in everything around here. It's certainly in everything back home, so why is it so scarce here?"

"Sir…you are a very strange man. I would love to keep talking with you, but I must inform you that you are intruding on important grounds. I'm going to have to take you to Princess Bubblegum immediately."

"Oh, of course! Yes! Bad, bad me just popping in and intruding. Of course, of course, take me to your leader." He grinned. "I love saying that."

* * *

As he followed the strange fellow, the Doctor couldn't help but notice the apparent openness of royalty in this world. It was better than being shut out and having to do the detective work himself, although he was quite proficient at doing so since he so often had to. Still, he did have to wonder how such openness came to pass; most places he went to didn't have a single transparent government on the planet, let alone multiple. He gazed out of one of the windows in the hallway and saw the colorful kingdom in its entire splendor. With candy and sugar lining everything from the architecture to the citizens themselves, the Doctor was glad that he hadn't brought any young children. They might have been tempted to devour everything in sight, which would definitely interfere with the Doctor's investigation. Of course, he himself felt tempted to nibble on something, but he turned his attention to the hallways he was passing through.

He found himself being led not into a foyer or a grand hall, but into a laboratory. He quickly scanned it, noting how many chemicals were being studied. _Evidently this princess is a woman of science._ He grinned as the final door opened. Standing behind the door was a woman who had been busily working on some formula of sorts, her back still to the two of them. She was dressed in a royal dress, despite the lab coat nearby. He wondered why she was ignoring proper safety protocols in such a lab but soon shrugged it off, citing his own disregard for many rules.

"Princess," the fellow said, "I found the high fructose corn syrup, but I seem to have found someone in the forbidden storage room."

She didn't even look up from her formula, her focus the Doctor noted. "Hm?"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Hello, Princess. I'm the Doctor."

She still didn't turn around. "Peppermint Butler, I don't need a doctor."

"Princess, I didn't send a doctor for you. I found him in the forbidden room! Aren't you even in the slightest concerned with the security of the castle?"

She sighed as she grabbed the container of syrup in Peppermint Butler's hands without turning around. "I get kidnapped by Ice King almost every week. There are so many other things to worry about, like this anti-zombie formula."

"Sorry, zombies?" the Doctor asked, his curiosity piqued. He hadn't met any zombies in a long time.

"Over the past few years, there have been several outbreaks of the candy zombie virus, many times directly or indirectly my fault. Although we were able to create an antidote last time, the virus would still triumph if the subject were re-exposed to it. I want to ensure that another such outbreak never happens again, but every time I get closer to the true cure, the one that will forever prevent the disease from returning, something horrible happens and sets me back."

"Let me have a look." Without another warning, he pushed her out of the way, took out his sonic screwdriver, and examined the formula. "Ah, interesting formula. I see you're trying to create a stimulant to help natural antibodies actively combat against such a virus, but the way it's composed it would also stimulate the virus. You'd need some very specific, complex combination of fat, sugar, and protein to perfect it. Something like…"

He reached into his pockets and took out…

"…Fish fingers and custard!" Without another word, he mashed up the two things together and combined it with the formula. "Here you go. That should do it." He held out the formula to her, though he was staring at a small picture of a man wearing glasses, an old English suit, and a bowtie. _I wonder who this fellow is…he certainly has very good fashion sense._

She cautiously accepted the formula and took out to trays of cells contaminated by the zombie virus. Pouring some of the formula on the first tray, she saw that the cells quickly reverted to normal. It was nothing that she wasn't already able to accomplish, but, when she combined the trays together, she was shocked to see that the regular cells stayed healthy and the infected cells reverted to normal as well.

"It worked!" she exclaimed. "This is great! All I have to do is give this formula to my machine, mass produce the formula, and give it to the citizens! The days of the zombie threat are gone forever! Thank you so much!"

"It was my pleasure," he said as they met each other's eyes for the first time. He didn't expect her to gasp in surprise. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"…Are you…human…?"

"Me? Oh, no. I'm a Time Lord. You could easily get confused; humans do look like Time Lords. Which reminds me, how come I haven't seen any humans anywhere?" He pointed the screwdriver at her and analyzed her makeup. "I mean, here you are with 65% bubblegum and 35% other organic materials. It closely parallels the 65% water 35 % other stuff in ordinary humans, but I haven't seen any ordinary humans anywhere. Which shocks me because this is Earth. Well, Ooo as it's now called. Why is it called that? And, back to my original question, why are there no humans?"

She grimaced. "You don't know anything about the Great Mushroom War, do you?"

He frowned and replied darkly, "There's always a war, isn't there?"

She paused for a moment before addressing her servant. "Peppermint Butler, please leave me alone to speak with our guest."

"Princess, with all due respect, our guest was intruding in…"

"I don't care. He has given us the cure to the candy zombie virus. All he's asking for is some history and information. So, if you will?"

He sighed. "As you wish, Princess." He begrudgingly left, leaving the two alone.

"What I am about to tell you is an abridged version of the war. I myself do not know all the details, but I think I know enough for your needs." The Doctor motioned her to begin, and she started to tell him about the worst war to have ever befallen the planet.

* * *

_Of the origin of the conflict, no one is absolutely sure of. Of the countries involved, the alliances are unknown, but they were hostile to each other. But of the people involved, their stories of terror and suffering became universal in the world. As one side began to approach victory, the losing side devised the Mushroom Bomb, the most terrifying weapon of mass destruction ever created. Its purpose was to bathe the planet in a horrifying combination of radiation and mutagens to bring the people of the world to their ultimate demise._

_ However, its true horror was the first creature it created: the purest form of evil to have ever walked the land. He was called the Lich. He was imbued with the raw power of the bomb, and he inherited the power needed to raise the dead and form his army. The mutagens created from the bomb formed his vast horde of villainous creatures that slaughtered first the humans who had survived the bomb untouched and then the ones who had suffered horrible mutations because of it. It was up to the great hero, Billy, to defeat the Lich so that the planet would be able to recover from the disaster. He managed to seal him away in pure amber, allowing the people of the world to finally have peace._

_ As the remaining life on the planet came to terms with the disaster that had nearly destroyed all life, resolutions were made to prevent such a disaster from happening ever again. As a sign of the new start, the planet was given a new name: Ooo. Many kingdoms were formed, each communicating to each other just enough for diplomacy but not too much for fear of competing alliances._

* * *

"Even despite all that had happened to the planet, life continued. Unfortunately, the day came when the Lich was freed from his prison. It was a few years back when he managed to finally free himself. Before he could regain his full power, a hero rose up to defeat him. That hero's name is Finn."

"Finn?" the Doctor interrupted. "Did he happen to have a girlfriend who happens to rule the Fire Kingdom now?"

"Huh? Yes, actually. How did you know that but not know about the Great Mushroom War or even the Lich?"

"Like I said, I travel a lot. Just before I came here, I had a nice little chat with Flame Princess. Kicked me out when I started to talk about him, though. I assume that their breakup wasn't very cordial?"

She shook her head. "It was worse. Finn made her and the Ice King think the other wanted a fight by forging incendiary letters. When he confessed what he had done, she didn't burst into flames and burn anyone. She was far too upset and confused…"

"Ah…that would be why she usurped her father. Blow off some steam, so to speak?" He then silently added, "Perhaps it's time I met this boy…"

She nodded. "She's kept herself busy running the Fire Kingdom to avoid confronting her feelings. I'd say something about it, but then I'd be a little bit hypocritical…"

"Hm? Hypocritical? Are you avoiding someone in your love life?"

She looked at him guiltily and slowly nodded. "Yeah…there was this nice man named Braco. He was infatuated with me, leading himself to physical trauma and a monstrous transformation in the hopes of winning my love. I have to admit that I was touched by his determination, but my duty as princess of the Candy Kingdom would not allow me to love him as he did me. In order to stop him from doing further harm to himself, I created a robotic replica of myself who would be able to spend all her time with him, giving him the devotion that he deserved."

Something in her eyes told the Doctor that it was the truth but not the whole truth. And then he realized something he had missed before. He just had to be careful with how he phrased his inquiry. "Princess…if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" Well, so much for tact, but there was no way to sugarcoat it.

She instantly slapped him hard. "Hey! Never ask that question to a woman!"

In response, the Doctor moaned in pain. "OW! That hurt a lot. Are you a mother? They always seem to knock the living daylight out of me…" He saw the next slap coming from a mile away. Again, it really hurt, but it felt somewhat different than the one before. Like it had been done not out of offense but out of a panicked denial to the truth.

As he looked up, he saw that she was trying to put on a cheery face, which would have fooled everyone except those like him who used that façade on numerous occasions. "Another shot at my age? Seriously, I'm 20 years old. I don't have any children per say, but the Candy People are like my children."

The Doctor pursed his lips. He wouldn't get any answers this way, so he decided to try a new approach. "Alright…different question. How old do you think I am?"

Now, Princess Bubblegum was completely puzzled, unsure of what the Doctor was trying to say. "I don't know…anywhere between your late 20's or early 30's?"

The Doctor chuckled softly. "You're off. Way off. Way, way, way off. While my body appears to be very young, my eyes are very old. 1103 years old to be precise." Her eyes widened in surprise, not expecting how the very young looking man could be so old. "The reason I brought up my age," he continued, "is because I know an old soul when I see one. While it's true that much of you is very young, you are most certainly very old. Not as old as I am, but very close." He paused before realizing something else. "You witnessed the extinction of the human race…didn't you?"

He knew the answer before he asked, and he continued as he saw a grim expression confirm his hypothesis. "I don't need to know the details. I just want to let you know that I understand the pain that such an experience can do to someone. I've not only seen the extermination of races all across the universe, but also I caused many of them myself, including the extinction of my own people." He looked away, unwilling to look her in the eye for this part. "I'm about to tell you some very personal and very damnable things about myself. My people, the Time Lords, were the benevolent guardians of the universe, ensuring the protection of the Time Vortex against those who would abuse its power. It all changed when we went to war to defend time and space from races of beings who wanted to take the power of time for themselves. Time passed, and we changed, survival becoming the only instinct for many. It was near the end when the Council and Lord President Rassilon prepared to initiate the Final Sanction, the last resort to save themselves by destroying all of time and space and transcending to perfect beings of consciousness alone. We had become the very thing we had sworn to destroy, and it was then when I knew I had to stop them all. With the cores of the twin suns, I seized the Moment, preserving all time and space at the cost of all my people and many of the higher species in the universe.

"As if once wasn't enough for the universe, I had to live through the loss three more times. When a renegade Time Lord who called himself the Master resurfaced, I had to stop him from conquering the universe for himself. Although he had caused so much trouble for so many in the universe, I still attempted to save him. He had once been my friend, and I knew that he was capable of good. Sadly, he was killed by a single shot, and I had to carry out the task of burning his body, feeling the same pain I had when the Time Lords fell.

"Unbeknownst to me, he had formed a cult to bring him back to life. Carrying the same madness he had in life, he managed to fulfill a plan to bring the Time Lords back. I didn't know at the time, but the Time Lords had managed to find out about my plan to destroy them just before I actually did. With that knowledge, they managed to manipulate the Master to the point where he created a path allowing them to escape their fate and enact the Final Sanction. I found myself forced to make the decision once again to send the Time Lords back to Hell, fully expecting that I would join them. At the last moment, however, the Master managed to save me, sacrificing himself in the process."

He quickly glanced at her to see an intent, studious look on her face before continuing. "But the worst one, perhaps the most painful one personally, happened between those two times. It was on the planet Messaline when I found myself thrust into the middle of a war. It wasn't to the scale of the Time War, but the combating sides each used advanced cloning technology to churn out soldier after soldier in what was supposedly an endless war. One side mistook me for one of their own and used their machine on me. It extracted my DNA and used the template to create a woman who my friend, Donna, later named Jenny. I thought I had seen it all, but this was a sudden change. I was suddenly no longer alone. I suddenly had real family. I suddenly had a daughter. And then, with a single shot, all that was taken away from me…"

Princess Bubblegum continued to stare intently on the Doctor. He was pouring information he definitely didn't give out easily, but he had only just met her. "Why are you telling me all this?" she asked.

He turned to her with a sad smile. "Because, Princess, we all need someone with whom we can empathize. Although I admit that I can be very thick, I am aware when I see anguish and pain masked behind a cheerful façade; it is, after all, what I do most of the time. Back home, there are only two blokes I know who have lived as long as I have. Actually, they're both technically older than I am, and that is quite the accomplishment. At least they give me an outlet when I need one. I doubt there are any such people around here, and, even if there are, it doesn't seem to me that you really talk to them much. It's alright to let your feelings go; it helps you retain some sense of sanity."

She bit her lip, not sure quite how to respond. The strange man had been able to read her so easily…how? Well, how was because he had apparently underwent so much for the sake of others. Although she wasn't completely sure if his words were true or not, they were certainly compelling and hard to just make up. "I don't know," she said. "I have seen so much, and…it isn't easy for me to trust people with the stuff inside me."

The sadness from his smile dissipated, leaving a daring but genuine one in its place. "Am I people? Do I even look like people? Trust me. I'm the Doctor."

There was something in his voice that inspired confidence for a moment for her to talk about the memories that had been silently plaguing her for so long. But before she could, the walls behind the Doctor were broken through by an annoyingly familiar figure. "Ice King! What the heck are you doing?!"

The Doctor turned around to see an old man with a very large beard and icy blue skin cackling in a mad laughter. How he was using his beard to fly he had no idea. "Oh, Princess Bubblegum," Ice King said, his eyes shut and his feelings completely oblivious to either the unwilling woman or the presence of the other man, "I have finally come to claim you as my beloved forevermore, duly won in a passionate kidnapping. I will let nothing stand between our true love."

Well, this was a bizarre spectacle, something even the Doctor thought he was too rational to do. He quickly glanced behind him to see Bubblegum's horrified expression. Evidently, this person must have concocted such schemes to steal her enough to cause such a look. "Sorry…what?" he asked.

Ice King suddenly opened his eyes, widening with horror at the strange but admittedly striking man standing right next to the princess he had desired above all the others. "Huh? Who the heck are you?"

"I'm the Doctor," he flatly stated. "And if you were trying to court this woman, you might have wanted to try knocking on the front door. It's not exactly polite to destroy perfectly good walls and barge in." However, he silently added, "Although, I have certainly done that quite a lot in my life, haven't I…"

"Silence!" he boomed, readying his magic. "I will not have anyone try to take my Bubblegum away from me! She shall be my bride, not yours!"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes in the most menacing way he could. "Bride? Are you insane? I'm a married man!"

"Wha—huh?" The charge in his hands dissipated as he dropped to the ground. "You're not here to get in between true love?"

"True love?" If there was one thing the Doctor was extremely passionate about, it was the topic of love, and he was about to launch into a fervent tirade. "True love? You dare call your obsession true love? True love is a mutual bond that transcends the boundaries of time and space. True love is a man protecting the woman he loves for 2,000 years against all the trials to befall them, never resting for even a single second until the moment she is safe. True love is the bond between common kin that allows each member to perform herculean tasks for the sake of family alone. True love is an unwavering belief and an unchallengeable commitment for the one you love in good times and bad. True love is when you both will defy the laws of the universe because you won't surrender no matter what. I've seen all these examples of true love in my 1103 years of life, surmounting all obstacles placed before them. How dare you even consider your insane obsession as true love!"

The Doctor paused to notice how a much different look appeared in the intruder's eyes. It looked as if, in a brief moment of sanity, the man exhibited regret for his ridiculous actions. But, in an instant, a new thought crossed his mind that once again shrouded his reason with deluded fantasies. "You know so much about love…which means I must have all your knowledge!"

Before the Doctor could react, Ice King unleashed enough energy to freeze the almost all of his body. "Ack! Cold! So cold! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"When I come back for you, Princess, I'll surely steal your heart at last!" He grabbed the Doctor's back and flew off with him, despite his loud protests.

She reacted and grabbed the jewel around her neck. Although she didn't want to burden Finn on his birthday, she knew he should be the one to help him. "I'm sorry…" she silently said, not sure if it applied specifically to Finn or the Doctor or someone else entirely.

* * *

**Zombies hate fish fingers and custard. Scientific fact proven by the Doctor. Please give this piece some love and review/favorite/follow it.**


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